Govt approves 12 nuke plants

A Techno-Commercial Offer has been submitted by Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) which has agreed to continue with the proposed project for setting up six units of AP-1000 (6 x 1208 MWe) reactors at Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh.

WEC has also initiated negotiation on the offer with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), said Minister of State for MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in parliament on 28 Mar 2018.

Further progress in these discussions will depend upon finalization of techno-commercial aspects of the project acceptable to the Indian side and upon establishing the viability of the project.

Further progress in the negotiation will also depend on the operation of reference plant design in the United States.

Meanwhile, the Government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for construction of 12 nuclear power reactors.

Ten of these would be indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be set up in fleet mode & two units of Light Water Reactors (LWRs). These would be set up in cooperation with Russian Federation to enhance nuclear power capacity in the country.

The projects are:

PHWRs to be set up in fleet mode.

Madhya Pradesh – Chutka-1&2 of 2X700MW.

Karnataka – Kaiga-5&6 of 2X700MW.

Rajasthan – Mahi Banswara-1&2 of 2X700MW.

Haryana – Gorakhpur GHAVP-3&4 of 2X700MW.

Rajasthan – Mahi Banswara-3&4 of 2X700MW.

Light Water Reactor (LWR) to be set up in cooperation with Russian Federation.

Tamil Nadu – Kudankulam KKNPP-5&6 of 2X1,000MW.

Presently, NPCIL and Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) are involved in nuclear power generation.

There is no proposal under consideration at present to allow private partnership in the nuclear power generation sector, said the Minister.

The Atomic Energy Act, 1962 permits Public Sector Undertakings in setting up of nuclear power plants as a junior equity partner of a Government company.

At present companies in private sector in India are participating in a major way in setting up nuclear power plants through supply of components, equipments and works contracts, he pointed out.

The total installed capacity from conventional energy sources (Excluding Renewable Energy Sources) in the country as on 28.02.2018 is 271,300MW. Out of which private sector contributes about 89,540MW.

An estimated 3,802MW capacity of energy production from conventional sources would likely be added through private sector during March 2018 – March 2022.

About 1,070MW of private plants would likely be retired during March 2018 – March 2022.

Hence, the total capacity for energy production from private sector at the end of March 2022 is likely to be 92,272MW from conventional energy sources, said Dr Singh. fii-news.com